Strand twisting machine



STRAND TWISTING MACHINE Filed July 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l Eff?, ff. @j

March 27, 1934. A |TT| EF|ELD 1,952,929

STRAND TWISTING MACHINE Filed July 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2- if 6D? WW March 27, 1934. A 1TT| EF|E1 D 1,952,929

STRAND TWISTING MACHINE Filed July 50, 19251 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

HMI

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 STRAND TWESTING MACHINE Arlon Littlefield, Cranston, R. I., assignor to New England Butt Company, Providence, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application July 30, 1931, Serial No. 554,027

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved strand twisting machine for making ropes or cords by twisting together separate strands or threads of bre or separate metal strands.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient device of this character for twisting a plurality of separate strands or threads of fibrous or metallic material to form a rope or cord, and winding the rope upon an interior drum or reel directly as it is drawn from the twisting mechanism in such a manner that the rope will be directed to and drawn upon the reel with a minimum number of angular turns and thus eliminate substantially the tendency of the rope to kinkor knot prior to its application to the reel, and prevent undue hardening of twisted metal strands through the formation of sharp bends therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efcient machine of this character capable of imparting a double twist to the material, or placing two twists in the strands during a single revoiution of the flier.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character which is reversible, that is, in which the ier, tension roll and winding reel and associated operating parts are capable of being rotated in either of two directions about their axes to impart either right or left hand twists in the strands upon each revolution of the flier.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and eicient form of winding and take-up mechanism so arranged as to effect the take-up and reeling of the rope material within a plane passing through or substantially through the axis of rotation of the ier whereby substantial uniformity of lay in the reeled material may be obtained.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a stationary frame located within the flier and having a simple and compact form of driving mechanism for driving the winding reel and take-up mechanism at a fixed speed ratio relative to each other while providing means for varying the speed of rotation of the winding reel and take-up mechanism asmay be found desirable to increase or decrease the number of lays per unit length of the rope.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relate to Various improved details of construction and novel arrangements of the parts as will be more fully set forth in the detailed description to follow, to which reference is made for a more full and complete exposition thereof.

Referring to the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved machine, showing a form of drive and control means therefor,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View 60 of the machine, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the stationary frame and the driving mechanism carried thereby, with the fier parts omitted except for the axial shafts supporting the frame,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, showing in full lines the position of the directing pulley, guide pulley and guide standards when the flier is rotating in one direction and the path of the strands to be twisted in passing through the flier, over the take-up mechanism directing pulley and traversing mechanism to the winding reel in the full line position of the parts, and also showing in dotted lines the position of the directing pulley, guide pulley and guide standards when the flier is rotating in the opposite direction,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View of the mechanism, taken substantially along the line 5-5 of 80 Fig. l,

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the winding reel and associated mechanism, taken substantially along the line 6 6 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the guide plate for guiding strands or threads to the flier,

Fig. 8 is an end elevational View of the shaft supporting the winding reel, and showing the connecting means for holding the shaft against removal from the frame,

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the reel driving means for driving the winding reel and a portion of the clutch mechanism associated therewith for frictional engagement with the reel driving sheave, and,

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional View taken through the counter-shaft and driven taken-up roll shaft and showing the change speed gear for varying the number of lays in the rope per unit of length. 10o

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith, 1 designates a base upon which is mounted a reversible drive motor 2 of any suitable type and a control mechanism 3 operated, by a control handle 4 for regulating the operation 105 of the motor in either direction. Spaced standards 5 and 6 are carried by the base 1, the standard 5 rotatably supporting a driven shaft 7 which may be suitably mounted in anti-friction bearings 8 carried by the standard. The driven shaft 110 7 is provided at one end with a pulley 9 which is driven by a belt 10 passed over a pulley 11 mounted upon the shaft 14 of the motor 2. The driven shaft 7 has .a flier head or arm 15 firmly secured thereto, by a spline or other suitable fastening means at the end thereof opposite to that to which the pulley 9 is secured, and a brake drum 16 is secured to the flier head or arm 15, as by bolts or the like 17.

The standard 6 rotatably supports a shaft 18, which may be mounted in anti-friction bearings 19 of any suitable or desired type, and the shaft 18 is provided with a central bore 29, extending throughout its length for the reception of the strands or cords to be twisted. The shaft 18 is mounted in axial alignment with the shaft 7 and has a ier head or arm 21 firmly secured to one end thereof in any suitable or desired manner. The standard 6 is also provided with means for supporting a strand guiding plate 22 in spaced relation with that end of the hollow shaft 18 which is opposite to the flier head or arm 21, the guide plate 22 having a plurality of openings 23 formed therein and preferably spaced a substantially equal distance from each other along lines substantially concentric with the central bore 29 of the shaft for receiving and directing strands or threads 24 into the central bore 2D of the shaft. Any suitable means may be provided for supporting the guide plate 22, such as a pair of rods 25 provided with threaded portions whereby the location of the guide plate 22 relative to the adjacent end of the shaft 18 may be adjustably varied and the plate secured to the rods in any one of a plurality of adjusted positions within a suitable or desired range of adjustment by means of nuts 26 in order to effect a proper positioning of the strands or cords 24 relative to each other as they enter the central bore 20 of the shaft.

The flier heads or arms 15 and 21 carried by the aligned shafts 7 and 18 may be substantially circular in shape and concentrically arranged with relation to the corresponding shafts 7 and 18 respectively. The flier heads or arms 15 and 21 as shown are rigidly connected to each other by means of a plurality of bars 28 secured to the opposed flier heads adjacent their peripheries, the several connecting bars 28 being arranged parallel with and located at substantially equal radial distances from the common axis of rotation of the aligned shafts 7 and 18. A supporting ring 29 may be secured to the several bars 28 intermediate of and in a plane substantially parallel with the planes of the flier heads or arms 15 and 21.

The flier heads or arms 15 and 21, bars 28 and ring 29 form a hier frame or flier indicated generally by the reference character 30 and which is adapted to rotate with the shafts 7 and 18 .about an axis coincident with the axes of the shafts 7 and 18. At least one of the bars 28 is of a hollow construction or is hollowed out throughout the major portion of its length, as indicated at 31, for a purpose which Will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The flier head or arm 15 carries a spider frame 32 concentrically secured to the inner face thereof in any suitable manner, as by means of the attaching bolts 17, and the spider frame 32 is provided with a hollow shaft 33 extending inwardly therefrom towards the flier head or arm 21 and adapted to fit within a portion 34 of a stationary frame or cradle 36. A similar spider frame 37 is secured to the inner face of the flier head or arm 21 by bolts or the like 38, and the spider frame 37 is provided with a shaft 39 which projects inwardly therefrom towards the opposite flier head or arm 15 and is adapted to be received in a portion 40 of the frame or cradle 36 which is opposite to the portion 34. The shafts 33 and 39 may be mounted in suitable anti-friction bearings 43 and 44, respectively, carried by the portions 34 and 40 of the frame or cradle 36 in which the shafts 33 and 39 are rotatably mounted. The hollow shaft 33 carries a beveled gear 45 secured to or formed integral therewith and extending inwardly from the collar 34 when the parts are in assembled position, and the hollow shaft 33 is firmly secured to and rotates with the spider frame 32. The central bore 46 of the shaft 33 extends throughout the entire length of the shaft and through the bevel gear 45. The shaft 33 and shaft 39 are secured to and rotate with the hier frame 30 and in the bearings 43 and 44 as the shaft 7 is driven by the motor 2, and the axes of rotation of the shaft 33 and shaft 39 are coincident with the axis of rotation of the flier frame 30.

Brake shoes 48 of any suitable type are mounted to engage the brake drum 16 and are connected to an arm 49 carried by shaft 50 by appropriate link mechanism 51. The shaft 50 may be rotatably mounted in bearings 52 and 53 carried by the frame and provided with a foot lever 54 through which the brake may be applied by the operator from a point adjacent to the motor control mechanism.

The frame or cradle 36 which may be of any desired shape is shown as substantially rectangular and is positioned entirely within the flier or flier frame 36, and supported therefrom through the portions 34 and 40 which serve as or contain bearings for the shafts 33 and 30, respectively. The arrangement of the parts is such that the frame or cradle 36 remains stationary while the nier rotates around it as the flier is driven through the drive shaft 7 by the motor. Since the hollow shaft 33 rotates with the flier, the gear 45 is caused to rotate as the flier is driven, thus driving the bevel gear 55 which meshes with the gear 45 and the shaft 56 which is rotatably mounted in the stationary frame 36.

A gear 57 carried by the drive shaft 56 meshes with and drives a gear 58 carried by a countershaft 59. The counter-shaft 59 has secured thereto gears 60 and 61 of different diameters adapted to engage selectively the part 62 or the part 63 of a double gear 64 which is splined or otherwise slidably but non-rotatably secured to the take-up roll shaft 65, whereby the shaft 65 may be driven at either of two different speeds from the counter-shaft 59. A sprocket Wheel 67 is secured to the take-up roll shaft 65 as is also a take-up roll or wheel 68 which has a conical or inclined face 69, and the sprocket wheel 67 and take-up wheel 68 are driven upon rotation of the counter-shaft 59 through the mechanism above described.

A sprocket chain 70 connects the sprocket wheel 67 with a sprocket gear 71 secured to a drive sheave 72 which is rotatably mounted upon the hub portion 73 of a sheave 74. The sheave 72 has a resilient or frictional driving connection with the sheave 74 which comprises a clutch band 75 tting about the periphery of the sheave 74 and having holding members 76 and 77 secured to opposite ends thereof for connection with an anchoring eye 78 carried by the sheave 72. A bolt 79 is passed through openings in the holding members 76 and 77 and through the eye 78, and

coiled springs 80 and 81 are carried by the bolt '79 'and interposed between each holding member and the anchoring eye 78. By means of this structure the holding members may be drawn together to the desired extent for frictionally securing the sheave 72 to the sheave '74 so as to hold them normally against independent movement but to permit a slight slippage of these members relative to each other. When the amount of rope wound upon the reel becomes so great that the speed of rotation imparted to the winding reel is too great to accommodate the rope as supplied thereto, the maximum slippage of these members occurs.

The sheave 74 is keyed to a sleeve 84, which sleeve is rotatably mounted upon the shaft supporting the Winding reel 83 and has a bearing in the frame 36. The sleeve 84 is provided with a gear 85 which meshes with a gear 86 carried by a counter-shaft 87 supported by the frame or cradle 36. A sprocket wheel 88 carried by the counter-shaft 87 is connected by a sprocket chain 89 with a sprocket Wheel 90 fixed to a reverse threaded worm shaft 91 mounted in bearings 92 carried by the frame 36. A traveler block 93 is mounted for longitudinal movement in opposite directions upon the reverse threaded shaft 91, and is provided with guide standards 95 for guiding the twisted rope to the winding reel. The traveler block is also provided with a lug 96 engaging a portion of the frame to hold it against rotation relative to the shaft 91 and insure re verse movement of the traveler block longitudinally of the shaft 91.

The winding reel 83 is proximately supported by the end of the sleeve 84 and the end of an oppositely positioned sleeve 97, which like the sleeve 84, is rotatably mounted on the winding reel supporting shaft 85 and has a bearing in the frame 36. One or more suitable driving pins 98` carried by the sheave 74 engages the winding reel 83 for rotating the reel with the sheave 74. The winding reel supporting shaft 85 is provided at one end with an enlarged head 99 adapted to bear against the outer end of the sleeve 84, and has a bar 100 passed transversely therethrough which may be grasped to withdraw the reel supporting shaft from the frame in order to permit the removal of the reel when filled with rope. The opposite end of the winding reel supporting shaft 85 is held in position against removal by a latch pin 101 which is passed therethrough. The inwardly extending ends of the sleeves 84 and 97 may be somewhat reduced externally to t within the hub 102 of the winding reel and thus hold the reel against endwise movement. When it is desired to remove the winding reel 83 from the frame, the pin 101 is withdrawn from the shaft 85 and the shaft may then be drawn outwardly by means of the bar 100 a sufficient distance to permit the removal of the reel. The sleeve 97 may then be partially or wholly withdrawn from its bearing in the frame 36, thus releasing the reel to permit its'removal and its replacement by an empty reel when desired.

The ilier head or arm 21 is provided upon its inner face with an angle plate or arm 104 which supports a rotatable sheave or pulley 105 in p0- sition to receive the strands 24 as they enter the flier from the axle bore 20 of the shaft 18. The strands 24 pass over the sheave 105 and are directed outwardly to a point adjacent to the periphery of the flier head or arm 21 where they pass over a second sheave 106, which is rotatably supported by an arm 107 carried by the flier head or arm 21. From this point the strands or twisted rope pass through the longitudinal recess 31 formed in one of the bars 28 to the opposite end of the flier frame where they pass over another sheave 108 which is rotatably supported by an arm 109 carried by the flier head or arm 15. From this point the twisted rope is directed inwardly towards the central portion of the ier head or arm 15, where it passes over a sheave 110 rotatably supported by a bracket 111 carried by the flier head or arm 15. The sheaves 105, 106, 108 and 110 are all located in a common plane, and the face grooves of the sheaves 105 and 110 are so positioned as to be in a plane substantially radial with the axis of rotation of the flier and the center lines of the central bores formed in the shafts 18 and 33.

A plate 114 forming a part of or secured to the stationary frame 36 in any suitable or desired manner carries a skeleton frame 115 which supports a rotatably mounted directing pulley or sheave 116 and a rotatably mounted guide pulley or sheave 117 as shown in full lines on Fig. 4 of the drawings, whereby the twisted rope 120 upon its emergence from the bore 46 passes over the sheave 116 and around the inclined face 69 of the take-up roll 68. The rope 120 may be given several turns about the inclined face 69 of the take-up roll 68 which is mounted upon and driven by the driven take-up roll shaft 65 whereby the rope is drawn over the sheaves 105, 106, 108 and 110 at the desired speed. The skeleton frame 115 is provided with a portion 118 which is located upon the opposite side of the axis of rotation of the flier frame from that portion upon which the sheaves 116 and 117 are mounted, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and this portion of the frame 115 serves to provide means for supporting the sheaves 116 and 117, as shown in their dotted line positions on Fig. 4, upon the opposite side of the axis of rotation of the flier as shown in Fig. 4, but in substantially the same relative location with reference thereto as that which they occupy in that Figure. The guide standards 95 are also shown in dotted line position in Fig. 4 as reversed from their full line position as shown in that gure with reference to the axis of rotation of the flier. The reversed or dotted line positions of sheaves 116 and 117 and the guide standards 95 are shown to illustrate the positions when the direction of rotation of the ier is reversed from its direc. tion of rotation when these parts occupy their full line positions as shown in that figure, for the purpose of twisting the strands in the opposite direction in forming the rope 120. The conical or inclined face of the tension roll 68 serves to produce a. slight slippage of the twisted rope from the larger to the smaller diameter as it passes thereover whereby the separate strands are smoothed olf to produce a rope in which the twists are of a uniform character throughout.

Although anti-frictionally mounted upon aligned shafts 33 and 39, the stationary frame or cradle 36 is adapted to be maintained against rotation or vibratory movement engendered by the rotation of the shafts through the inertia of its mass through locating the center of gravity of the cradle below and in the vertical plane of the axes of the shafts 33 and 39, supplemented if desired by a suitable weight 122, secured to i ist It will be seen from the above description that the frame or cradle 36 is entirely undriven, that is, that no drive connection exists between the flier heads and the frame or cradle 36 nor is there any drive connection between the source of power and the frame or cradle 36 for positively maintaining the frame or cradle stationary during the rotation of the flier heads. Heretofore, in stranding machines of this character it has been deemed necessary to employ some positive drive, as in the form or planetary gearing, between one or both flier heads and the frame or cradle for obtaining a differential drive on both hier and cradle to hold the cradle stationary while the flier heads or flier frame rotates. By eliminating a positive drive connection to the frame or cradle 36 it is possible to greatly simplify the structure and do away with complicated arrangements of gearing while at the same time to provide a simple and eihcient drive for the take-up means, traversing block, winding mechanism, etc., carried by the cradle. In other words, the flier heads shown in the present case are mounted for rotation entirely independent of the trarne or cradle 36, and, oi' course, each flier head constituted of twisted or untwisted fabric material or metal strands, are directed through the openings 23 in the guide plate 22 and pass through the axle bore 26 oi the shaft 18 to the interior of the flier frame where they pass over the face of the sheave 165 and are then directed outwardly over the sheave 166 and then longitudinally the shaft 33.

of the iiier frame through the recess 31 over vthe sheave 108 and again inwardly to pass over the sheave 110 and through the axial bore 46 in Upon their emergence from the shaft 33, they pass over the guide pulley 116 and from there around the take-up wheel or roll 68, preferably two or more turns being taken about the wheel 68, from the wheel 68 the rope may pass upwards as shown in Fig. 4, and around the pulley 117, the iinal guiding pulley 117 being a sufcient distance from the winding reel 83 so that the rope may be properly directed to and laid upon the winding reel by the guide standards 95.

As the iiier frame is rotated by means of the motor 2 through the pulleys 15 and 9 and driving belt l0, the flyer frame is rotated about the axes of rotation of the shafts 7 and 18, and this rotation of the iiier serves to impart a twist to the strands or cords between their emergence from the bore 20 and their passage over the pulley 106.

A second twist in the same direction is imparted to the twisted strands or cords between the pulley 108 and the emergence oi the rope from the bore 46 to pass over the directing pulley 116. In this way two twists are imparted to the strands or cords during each revolution of the flier from the time when the strands or cords emerge from the bore 29 until they pass over the directing pulley 116. From the directing pulley 116 the twisted rope passes over the take-up wheel or roll 68, sev'- eral turns of the rope being taken over the inclined face 69 or" the take-up roll, and the take-up roll being positively driven, through the drive gearing carried by the frame 36, draws the twisted rope along the pathway previously described through the nier frame, and the speed of rotation of the take-up roll 68 determines the number of lays per unit length formed in the rope.

The flier or flier frame 30, as stated, comprises opposite iiier heads or arms 15 and 21 which are driven in unison and at a uniform speed relative to each other about the frame or cradle 36, which frame or cradle remains stationary relative to the flier solely through the inertia of its mass during the rotation of the flier relative thereto, and the driving means for rotating the iiier or iiier heads are independent ci any driving connection withthe frame or cradle 36 whereby the construction of the machine is greatly simplied and materially less power is required for the operation of the mechanism.

The speed of rotation of the take-up wheel may be varied within a considerable range and by the following means. The intermeshing gears 57 and 58 carried by the drive shaft 56 and the counter-shaft 59 respectively may be changed to others of a different ratio in order to vary the speed of rotation of the counter-shaft 59 relative to the drive shaft 57 within such range as may be permissibiie dependent upon the distance separating the shafts 56 and 59. A further variation in the speed or" rotation of the take-up wheel 68 relative o the lier frame is obtainable by means or the cha-nge speed gearing shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings which comprises the double gear 64 slidable upon the driven shaft 65 and the gears 69 and 6l xed to the counter-shaft 59. By positioning the part 63 of the gear 64 in mesh with the smaller gear 61 carried by the countershaft 59 a considerably lower speed of rotation may be imparted to the take-up wheel 68 whereby the number of lays per unit length in the twisted rope may be materially increased as the rate at which the strands or cords are drawn through the iiier mechanism is diminished. In a similar manner by placing the part 62 of the double gear 64 in mesh with the gear 60 carried by the counter-shaft 59, a relatively higher speed of rotation may be imparted to the take-up wheel 68 and the number of lays per unit length in the twisted rope may be decreased correspondingly over the previous example as the vrate at which the strands or cords are drawn through the iiier frame. When one part of the double gear is in mesh with either the gear 60 or the gear 61, the remaining part is of courseout of engagement with the other gear, as shown, and if necessary or desirable any form of gear shift lever may be employed to move the double gear 64 from its full line position in Fig. 10 to its dotted line position in that figure, or vice-versa, or to hold the double gear in either of its operative positions. No such shift lever has been shown however, since in actual practice the machine is stopped before changing from one type of lay to another, and one rate of lay is continued throughout the operation of making a given lot of rope. The speed change means just described, namely, that eiTected through movement of the double gear 64, is capable of and is employed in conjunction with the variation in speed obtainable by changing the gears 57 and 58 to increase or decrease the speed of rotation of the driven shaft 65 and the take-up wheel 68 carried thereby` By means of these co-operative speed change devices a very wide range in the number of lays per unit length in the finished product may be obtained.

It will be seen thatthe winding reel 83 and the traversing mechanism comprising the reverse threaded shaft 91 which carries the traveler block 93 are both driven from the counter-shaft 65, and are thus operated at a speed to correspond with the speed of rotation of the take-up wheel 68 whereby the finished rope is placed upon the winding reel at a rate corresponding with its discharge from the take-up wheel 68. The resilient driving connection between the sheave 72 and the sheave 74 is adapted to permit a slight slippage of these sheaves relative to each other in order to compensate for the increased drag upon the coiled rope as the quantity laid upon the winding reel increases and thus substantially equalize the tension upon the reel windings throughout their extent and prevent the pull exerted by the reel from affecting materially the uniform tension exerted by the tension wheel 68 upon the twisted material as it passes along the flier frame. This serves to overcome variations in the manner in which the material isY wound upon the winding reel and also insures substantial uniformity in the product by preventing interference with the uniform action of the tension wheel. In the form of the machine and manner of operating the same as above described the flier is rotated towards the observer as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, or in the direction of the arrow as seen in Fig. 5.

The drive motor 2 being reversible, and the pulleys 116 and 117 as well as the guide standards 95 being capable of being reversely positioned relative to their positions as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the machine is capable of and adapted to be employed for imparting either a right or a left handed twist to the rope by reversing the direction of rotation of the flier andreversing the positions of the pulleys 116 and 117 and the guide standards 95. In reversing the direction of twist imparted to the rope from that accomplished by the structure as previously described, the directing pulley 116 and guide pulley 117 are moved from their full line positions as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to their dotted line positions as shown in that figure, where they occupy corresponding positions relative to but upon the opposite side of the axis of rotation of the fiier from that shown in full lines in Fig. 4. The guide standards 95 are also moved from their full line positions as shown in Fig. 4 to their dotted line positions as shown in that figure. In operating the mechanism to reverse the twist from the direction previously described to the opposite direction the strands or cords to be twisted enter the flier and follow the course previously described until the rope emerges from the bore 46 when it passes across the face of the directing pulley 116, in its dotted line position which is located nearest to the axis of rotation of the flier then over the inclined face 69 of the take-up wheel 68 to pass therearound with several turns but in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 4, then downwardly as shown in Fig. 4 and over the guide pulley 117, from which the rope passes to the guide standards 95 and thence to the winding reel Where it passes upon that side of the winding reel 83 which is oppositely placed relative to the axis of rotation of the iiier from that upon which the rope 120 is shown as being applied in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The direction of rotation of the motor 2 is reversed by movement of the control handle 4 and the flier is then rotated in the opposite direction from that shown in the drawings and the twists placed in the rope are then applied in the opposite direction to those formed by the method of operation rst described. By providing a two-twist mechanism of the class described having a winding reel for receiving the twisted material arranged with its axis of rotation located transversely of the axis of rotation of the flier, and a take-up roll rotatable in the plane of rotation of the winding reel and having its plane passing through the axis of rotation of the ier, the rope as it emerges from the bore 46 of the shaft 33 is passed around the take-up wheel and from there to the winding reel Without being caused to make any sharp turns such as would have a tendency to cause kinks in the twisted strands, or, as in the case of metal strands, such as would tend to cause hardening of the metal at the points where the bends occur and thus weaken the rope cable. The mechanism as applicable for twisting strands, threads or cords of fabric material or metal to form a rope or cable made up of a plurality of threads, strands or cords twisted together, and by reversing the direction of rotation of the flier and changing the position of the pulleys 116 and 117 and the guide standards 95 the twists imparted to the material may be changed from right to left hand twists or Vice versa as may be desired. It will be noted that when the direction of rotation of the flier is changed from that indicated in the drawings, the direction of rotation of the take-up roll and winding reel will be correspondingly reversed by reason of the drive shaft 56 being rotated in the opposite direction through the gear 45 carried by the flier.

What I claim is:-

1. A strand twisting machine comprising a rotary nier, a frame mounted within said flier and supported by bearings carried by said flier concentric with the axis of rotation of said iiier, a winding reel carried by said frame for receiving the rope material after the same has been twisted and having its axis of rotation arranged transversely of the axis of rotation of said flier, a takeup roll 4carried by said frame and having its axis of rotation substantially parallel with `the axis of rotation of said winding reel, means carried by said frame for dr-iving said take-up roll and winding reel comprising a drive shaft, a countershaft actuated by said drive shaft, and a driven shaft actuated by said counter-shaft; and sliding gears carried by said driven shaft for selectively engaging gears carried by said counter-shaft to vary the speed of rotation of said driven shaft relative to said counter-shaft.

2. A strand twisting machine comprising a rotary flier having opposed heads, aligned shafts supporting sad opposed heads, means for driving one of said flyer head supporting shafts, the other of said flyer head supporting shafts being provided with an axial opening for the passage of untwisted strands, aligned inwardly extending shafts car-ried by said flyer head and spaced from said first named shafts, a supporting frame rotatably supported by said last named shafts and located within the flyer, and means carried by the supporting frame for receiving the twisted material, that one of the last named shafts, located adjacent to the yer head opposite to that supported by the rst named shaft having an axial opening, being also provided with an axial opening to permit the passage of the twisted strand to the strand supporting means carried by the stationary frame.

ARLON LITTLEFIELD. 

